Of water Cresses.
The kindes.
There be three sorts of water Cresses, one of the marrish grounde; the other of the riuer; the last of the cleere and siluer running springs.
The description.
Great water Parsnepe, groweth vpright, and is described to haue leaues of a pleasant sauour, fat and full of iuice as those of Alexanders, but somewhat lesser, resembling the garden Parsnep. The stalke is rounde, smooth and hollow, like to Kexe or Cashes. The roote consisteth of many small stringes or threddes, fastned vnto the stalke within the water or myrie grounde: at the top do grow many white flowers, in spokie rundels like Fennell, which being brused do yeelde a strong sauour, smelling like Petroleum, as doth the rest of the plant. Small water Cresse hath great, thicke, and hollow stalkes, set with great leaues made of many small, set vpon a middle rib like the ashe, not one opposite against another, but confusedly and out of order, not much vnlike the leaues of Hemlocke or Cheruile, in all other points like the other of his kinde. 1 Sium maius. Great water Parsnep. 2 Sium minus. Small water Cresse. 3 Nasturtium aquaticum. Water Cresses. 3 Water Cresses hath many fat and weake hollowe braunches, trailing vpon the grauell and earth where it groweth, taking holde and rooting in sundrie places as it creepeth; by meanes whereof the plant spreadeth ouer a great compasse of grounde. The leaues are likewise compact and winged with many small leaues, set vpon a middle ribbe one against another, except the point leafe, which standeth by himselfe, as doth that of the Ashe, if it growe in his naturall place, which is in a grauely spring. The vpper face of the whole plant is of a browne colour, and greene vnder the leaues, which is a perfect marke to know the Phisicall kinde from the others. The white flowers growe in spokie roundels. The roote is nothing else but as it were a thrum or bundell of threedes.
The place.
The first groweth in moorish and marshie grounds, and in medowes and woodes that be seldome drie. The seconde and thirde do growe in running brookes of most cleere fountaines and grauelie springs, where the best for phisick do vse to grow.
The time.
They spring and waxe greene in Aprill, and flower flower in Iuly. The water Cresse to be eaten in sallades, sheweth it selfe in March when it is best, and flowreth in sommer with the rest.
The names.
The first is called in Latine Sium maius, and Lauer maius of Dioscorides: of others it is called Sium odoratum Tragi, and also Pastinaca aquatica. The second is called in Greeke σίον : in Latine Sium alterum, and also Sisymbrium: in English great water Cresse, for that it hath the taste of garden Cresses. Water Cresse is called of Crateua Sium, and Sisymbrium aquaticum: of the newe writers Nasturtium aquaticum, and Lauer Crateua: in English water Cresses, or browne Cresses.
The temperature.
Water Cresse is euidently hot and drie.
The vertues.
Water Cresse being boiled in wine or milke, and drunke for certaine daies togither, is verie good against the scuruie or scorbute. Being chopped and boiled in the broth of flesh, and eaten for xxx. daies togither at morning, noone and night, prouoketh vrine, wasteth the stone, and driueth it foorth. Taken in the same manner, it doth cure yoong maidens of the greene sicknesse, bringeth downe their termes, and sendeth into the face their accustomed liuely colour, lost by the stopping of their menstrue.
Text in Gerard's own spelling (the long s is printed as s), transcribed by the Source Library (CC BY-SA 4.0). A chapter may run onto pages not yet transcribed. Gerard wrote within Galenic medicine; nothing here is advice.